


Honorable Ambition

by Opuscule_Owl



Category: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Female Player Character (Hogwarts Mystery), One Shot, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26654119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opuscule_Owl/pseuds/Opuscule_Owl
Summary: Barnaby sees you and Ben on a date in Hogsmeade and attempts to quell his feelings of jealousy
Relationships: Barnaby Lee/Player Character, Ben Copper & Player Character (Hogwarts Mystery), Ben Copper/Player Character (Hogwarts Mystery)
Kudos: 20
Collections: Hogwarts Mystery





	Honorable Ambition

**Author's Note:**

> Requested by Tumblr user @simplysslytherin

The Three Broomsticks was bustling with activity the way it always was when the Hogwarts students came to visit. Barnaby Lee sipped his butterbeer at a corner table near the back of the pub, surrounded by all his friends. Well, almost all of his friends. Bill and Charlie Weasley and Andre Egwu were discussing quidditch (as they often did). Tonks was amusing Tulip and Penny with a story of her setting off enchanted fireworks in the courtyard that resulted in several broken busts and many weeks of detention. Rowan sat next to Barnaby, head in a book. He honestly didn’t know much about Rowan. She was always rather quiet when not with [Y/N]. Of course, [Y/N] had the unrivaled ability to bring out the best in anyone. They certainly had done so with Barnaby. The thought of your warm and welcome smile, your gentle humor, and your absolute sense of determination and ambition caused a smile to creep across his face. [Y/N] was, without doubt, the best person he had ever met. Almost on cue, Penny broke through his thoughts by calling out, “Aw! Look!”

The group fell silent and looked in the direction she was pointing. Through the partially iced over window, there was a very clear view of the village outside. And standing there was none other than [Y/N] and your boyfriend, Ben Copper. You were standing in front of him and adjusting his red and gold scarf. Once you were satisfied, he said something that made you laugh. Smiling, you both walked away, hand in hand.

“They’re cute, aren’t they?” Penny said. “It’s a good balance,” Tonks said with a nod, “I mean, you got [Y/N], who’s a rule-breaking, reckless curse breaker. And then you have…well…Ben.” The table laughed and Bill chimed in. “He’s a sweet boy. I think he calms [Y/N] down believe it or not.”

“That’s good. She needs stress relief every now and then,” Andre said, “Plus, he lets me dress him for dates sometimes, so I have no complaints.” The table laughed again and went back to their previous conversations. Barnaby, however, was too busy thinking about the scene he had witnessed outside. Truth be told, there was nothing wrong with Ben Copper, but Barnaby found it difficult to like him. Barnaby had thought him odd upon first meeting him, finding his cowardice to be confusing and his general demeanor one that didn’t belong in a group with [Y/N]. However, he slowly began to realize that Ben had talent and daring wrapped in an unassuming frame. Something [Y/N] clearly picked up on and thought of as endearing.

[Y/N] started dating Ben only a few weeks after dueling and becoming friends with Barnaby. Unfortunately, it had taken only that little time for Barnaby to become taken with you. After you had dueled him, it seemed that Barnaby couldn’t get enough of you. He constantly asked to meet you for meals or a game of gobstones. He liked to study with you the best because even though Rowan and Penny and Bill all knew more than you, you were always patient with Barnaby when he screwed something up, and you would joke around and make him laugh while doing homework, something Barnaby didn’t think possible. He felt warm and fuzzy whenever he saw you. When he wasn’t with you, you seemed to consume his thoughts.

At first, Barnaby figured that this was what having friends felt like. He didn’t really get a good example from Merula and Ismelda, so there was no way for him to know that this feeling was different. It was only when he met up with Liz in the Slytherin common room a few times that he realized he didn’t feel the same way with her. He liked her of course, but his heart didn’t start beating rapidly and his palms didn’t get sweaty around her. Even then, it took several days of intense pondering to understand. He was in love with [Y/N].

It felt like he had just figured it out when you and Ben began your relationship. Barnaby had noticed you flirting with Ben, but you sort of seemed to flirt with everyone, including Barnaby himself. The whole thing had seemed out of nowhere and Barnaby stayed inside his dormitory for a whole day after finding out, just thinking about it. Ben just didn’t seem like much, even with his skill in charms. He was so…plain. And you were possibly the most extraordinary person Barnaby had ever met. So it didn’t really add up.

Now when he saw you it was usually with Ben, so the ecstatic beating of his heart was accompanied by a pain in his chest. Now he purposefully avoided hanging out with you outside of the friend group, because he couldn’t handle seeing you and knowing that you were totally in love with someone else. Barnaby often wondered what would have happened if you had met him first. If he had been the one you befriended in first year and the one you took to fight the ice door. If he was just there before Ben was, would you have chosen him instead? The question plagued Barnaby on a daily basis.

“Barnaby, dude, you alright?” Barnaby blinked and looked up. Everyone at the table had fallen silent and was staring at him. Tulip, who was the one who had just spoken was smirking at him. “You’re about two seconds away from shattering that Butterbeer glass,” she said. Barnaby felt his face go red as he realized that he had been clutching his mug so hard that his knuckles had turned white. “Which would be hilarious,” Tonks added, “But what’s got you so worked up?” Barnaby glanced around at expectant faces and weighed his options. He couldn’t tell them about his crush on [Y/N]. That wouldn’t really be fair. “Oh…um…it’s nothing…just…uh…school…stuff?” he said. There was silence before Tonks laughed. “You’re a horrible liar Barnaby. Seriously, what’s got you in the mood to shatter glasses?” Barnaby was about to explain that he wasn’t trying to smash the glass when Penny gave him a dazzling smile and said, “It’s okay Barnaby. You can trust us. We’re your friends.” The others all nodded in agreement. Barnaby, however, was unsure. He certainly wanted to discuss it with someone, but he didn’t want to talk about it with all of [Y/N]’s friends. “Then again,” he thought, “I could always tell them without giving [Y/N]’s name. Yeah, that could work.” He took a moment to figure out exactly he would say and addressed the table.

“There’s…a person,” he started. Already, the gang seemed to have had their interest piqued, as they begged him for more information. “I, uh, won’t say the name,” he added.

“Aw! Come on!” Tonks said. Bill was quick to elbow her. “Barnaby can keep their name private if he wants to,” he said before turning back to Barnaby, “Go on, then. Tell us about them.” Barnaby smiled. “They’re so amazing! They’re so courageous and smart and kind and ambitious!”

“That’s all four of the houses!” Charlie joked and Barnaby nodded. “They’re just that great!” he gushed. “But what’s the problem?” Rowan asked, looking up from her book for the first time. “Well, they, um, they don’t like me back. Or at least, they probably don’t.” His heart sank as he thought about it. He had momentarily forgotten until Rowan had reminded him. “Have you asked them?” Tulip said nonchalantly. Barnaby just looked at her, dumbfounded. “Well…no.”

“Then how do you know they don’t like you back?” Bill said. Barnaby remained silent. He didn’t want to say that the person in question was already seeing someone, afraid they would somehow figure it out if he gave them too many details. So he remained silent, waiting to see what they would see. “You’re a Slytherin, yeah?” Charlie said. Barnaby looked at him and said, “Charlie, you know I am. I’m wearing the Slytherin robes right now.” Charlie just laughed. “No, I mean…part of being a Slytherin is being ambitious and going after what you want. So I say you tell this person how you feel. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“They could reject me,” Barnaby said. He figured that was pretty obvious. “That’s true,” Penny said, “But you’ll feel better when you express your feelings.”

“Yeah!” Tonks said, “Plus you’ll never know if you don’t try.” Barnaby sat still for a long while without speaking. Part of him knew that their advice wasn’t truly applicable to his situation, but he wasn’t listening to that part. Since getting to Hogwarts he was proud to be a Slytherin and tried his hardest to be the best wizard possible and make his house proud. Of course, he soon realized that many Slytherins didn’t share those ambitions. After he broke away from Merula, it was [Y/N] that kept him believing in his Slytherin pride, stating that there was nothing wrong with being in Slytherin house, as long as your ambitions remained good. With that thought, Barnaby had made up his mind that it was best if [Y/N] knew how he truly felt.

He was about ready to stand up and march out in search of [Y/N] before he saw Ben Copper outside the window again. He was waiting outside of Honeydukes, rubbing his hands together to keep warm. As Barnaby was watching, you stepped out with two bags of candy and handed one to Ben. You turned to yours and popped a sweet into your mouth, smiling. While you were doing that, Ben was just looking at you, with a look in his eyes that made Barnaby’s heart ache. He had started to feel what he always did when looking at Ben, that sort of annoyance and vindictiveness that caused him to judge Ben way too harshly and close himself off when around him. But then you turned to look at Ben and mirrored the look in his eyes and Barnaby could no longer hold on to his anger, seeing you so happy. It was just then that he came to a realization that hit him like a ton of bricks. Everything that he felt for [Y/N], Ben felt too. Barnaby suddenly was putting himself in Ben’s shoes and imagining what it would feel like to be with someone as amazing as [Y/N] only to have someone you considered a friend try and take them from you. Barnaby thought back to what Charlie had said about Slytherin’s getting what they want. And while Barnaby wished it was him that you were happy with, above all he wanted you to be happy. And watching you interacting with Ben had given him a sort of peace. He took comfort in knowing that you were with someone who loved you as much as he did. Of course, it would still hurt a bit to know that you didn’t return Barnaby’s feelings, but he knew that it was more important that he be a good friend. And good friends want their friends to be happy. No matter what.

“Maybe Slytherins are supposed to chase their ambitions,” Barnaby said, startling the table, “But only if the ambition is honorable. And I refuse to be a Slytherin that substitutes honor for personal gain.” There was another long drawn out silence that Tonks quickly broke. “Barnaby, what in the bloody hell does that mean?”

**Author's Note:**

> I no longer support Ms. Rowling, but this game was fun to play and I'm proud of my work


End file.
